The one Black to choose the right way
by thegreenlily
Summary: "What was that?", his father asked now angrily. - "Would it change anything, Sir? If I tried to defend myself?", Sirius asked. "I cannot help what Mr Thomas feels fit to write about me. Just because anyone says so it does not make it true." - "So you are denying?" Just a short Oneshot...


_'...so we all have to ask ourselves - what is it with James Potter and Sirius Black? Have we not all seen them on recent events? Sticking their heads together, talking to none except the other, going nowhere alone like they are sort of glued together at their hips?_

_We all know the Blacks to be true blue - Toujour Pur, was it? - while the Potters are commonly known as friends of everyone, except dark magic. How did they end up together, the young Black and the young Potter? We asked one of their classmates and he confided:_

_The young Black ended up in Gryffindor!_

_For anyone ignorant of the fact - there has been no Black in Gryffindor since 1452. THere had been few in Ravenclaw, fewer in Hufflepuff - but none in Gryffindor.'The two of them share the dorm, if not the bed. Nobody has seen them without the other in ages. I can't decide who is in order to feel more ashamed, the Blacks or the Potters? Is it not the Potters who swore to the Ministry of Magic to never get involved into dark magic? And now their only son, the only heir to the holy Potter-Throne flirts with a Black?'_

_This makes up new questions. Is this a Potter running into the wrong direction? Or a Black who's sent over to spy? Should it be love?'_

Sirius stared at the floor as his father ended reading out loud. His mother sat on her chair, tears of rage falling down her cheeks. "It goes on like this.", his father uttered as he learned that Sirius himself would remain in silence.

"I know, I've read it a few months ago when he published it.", he replied quietly.

"Anything in defense?", his father asked. He could see how eager he was to let Sirius try to defend himself before punishing him anyway.

"Would it change anything?", he asked without any emotion but he noticed his own fingers trembling in fear. He had not been punished since Christmas, when he left again for Hogwarts. His father had not been there until now - actually, Sirius had not seen him since Christmas. He had been on one of his trips for whatever he called 'work'. Shagging vulnerable muggle-girls, that was and got certainly not paid...

"What was that?", his father asked now angrily.

"Would it change anything, Sir? If I tried to defend myself?", Sirius asked. "I cannot help what Mr Thomas feels fit to write about me. Just because anyone says so it does not make it true."

"So you are denying?"

"Denying what exactly, Sir?", he had to clear his throat. "That I am gay? I am most definitely denying that I am gay, you can ask Marlene if you are eager to do so.", he then said. "I cannot deny however that I ended up being a Gryffindor and the biggest shame to the honorable house of Black.", his sarcasm was well masked but his father had heard it.

"That you are."; he said.

"Also I cannot deny sharing my dorm with James Potter. We are both in Gryffindor, same age - so we happen to be in the same dorm. We are friends, as you know.", he admitted.

"Why did you not get sorted to Slytherin?", his mother cried. "What a shame you are, Sirius, our first born in Gryffindor!", Regulus' gaze seemed to be glued to his empty plate.

"Yes, Ma'am, you have made yourself quite clear the past few years.", he replied. His father now turned scarlett in anger.

"Do not dare to talk back like this!", Sirius took one step back as his father's temper took control. Now his little brother closed his eyes. "I can't blame the poor Lestrange-Girl for rejecting your proposals!"

"I will not offer my proposals to her.", he declined now.

"We specifically told you-"

"You told me that I am not allowed to offer my proposals to the McKinnons so I did not, thus they gave away Marlenes hand in marriage, yes.", he uttered with the snarl of a dog. His own temper began to shine through, but also his poor, broken heart began to thump achingly slow.

"Try not to whine."; his mother now said merciless. "The McKinnons are only in their eighth generation and Mrs McKinnon is a worthless mudblood!", he clenched his hands into fists. "You were supposed to write your proposals to the Lestranges, you useless amadaun!"

"They wouldn't have accepted it anyway.", he answered. "And I didn't want to risk them to accept, too.", all of a sudden his father had his wand in his hands. Before Sirius had any chance to react, his right leg broke and he howled in pain. "They wouldn't have!"; he swore.

Wondering why Sirius realised that he just couldn't lift his wand against his father. He was too scared to do it. Grief and doubt overcame him - again - as he clenched on the chair in front of him, balancing now on one leg. "You truly are a shame for our family."; his father shouted.

"I can't help it.", he offered.

"This is even worse!", his father now pulled another 'Daily Prophet' forth and Sirius sighted. "Mr Sirius Black and I are friends, yes, brothers, yes, no less for that matter - there is certainly no inappropriate physical relationship between the two of us.", to hear James' well written words let a small cheer appear on Sirius' face even though he knew they would make his recent situation worse. "For the other matter, Mr Thomas, why not let me decide myself who to spend time with? Of course one should choose his friends properly, obvious fact regarding that you counted as one of those 'friends' of my family until you turned your feather against me, at least we know now Mr Black to be worth ten of you. I assure all in doubt of my highest trust and confidence in Sirius - the one Black who chose the right way.", Regulus all of a sudden got up from his chair.

"I don't want to see this.", he said.

"Sit down.", his mother answered.

"Why do I need to see it?"

"To remind you of your place.", Mr Black was cruel. He did not even stop, when Sirius begged for it. He did not even stop, when he started to throw up blood. He would have never stopped, if Regulus had not him.

The neighbors did not even react anymore, when Sirius crawled out of the front door. Most of them had seen him in worse state. The women brought their children into the houses when he crawled across the street into a small bush where he was safe to apparate.

Not the first time. All not the first time. But it hurt more than usual. He had gone further than usual. Regulus had waited longer than usual. His face was blood-covered, the fluid running into his hair, his leg still broken, one of his armes and his nose, too. Hardly knowing where to go he apparated, nearly splinting himself as he was doing so with his last strength.

He landed on top of the stairs to James'. Yes. This was his place to go. Refuge. "Did you not hear it, Mum?", he could hear James talking inside. "Someone just apparated."

"But where?", his mother Charlotte replied loudly, he guessed from upstairs. "There was no alarm, dear.", unintentionally Sirius coughed some blood over the step his face was lying on. He could barely move now. Every bone in his body was burning and itching and hurting, tears running down his face now, too.

"I don't know.", he closed his eyes, when the main door opened. James nearly stepped on him, because he did not expect anyone lying on the floor, then he pulled out his wand. "Who are you, stranger?"; he demanded to know, pointing his wand to his head.

Sirius tried to answer, but could not, so he just pulled the Black-Ring, made of undying silver, off his finger and let it fall to James' feet. His best friend got to his knees. "Mum!", he shouted now really, really loud, panicking. "Mum, come down! Mum!", he could hear him start to cry, his wand dropped down next to him. "Mum!"

"What is it, James, there is absolutely no need to-", Charlotte gasped. "Good heaven, who is this?", she asked.

"S - Sirius!", James sobbed. "What do we do?", he asked then obviously scared. Then Sirius passed out.


End file.
